. >> reporter: when amy's husband john got laid off, they had credit card debt, big medical expenses, and two young sons. >> we didn't know what to do. it was either bankruptcy or cash in our iras. >> reporter: they decided to drain both of their retirement accounts, an increasingly common decision. a new study shows that more than 1 in 4 households with a 401(k) or other retirement account will withdraw some or all of it to pay for non-retirement needs, things like mortgages, credit card debt, and the kids' college tuition. but experts say it's a deeply troubling trend. >> if they cannot pay their bills while they have a paycheck coming in, how do they think they are going to pay those exact same bills later on in life when they no longer have a paycheck coming in? it makes no sense in any circumstance to take a loan from a 401(k). >> reporter: loans that result in penalties, taxes, and lost interest. people in their 40s are most likely to borrow against their 401(k)s, but the financial pressure doesn't end there. another new study by aarp shows that the older you are, the higher you